Warlock Apprentice Chapter 2475 - 2476: Clock Forest

Uncertain of how long had passed, Angel fell out of the golden light.

His eyes were tightly shut, his cheeks pale.

A few seconds later, Angel suddenly opened his eyes, but before he could get a clear view of his surroundings, he clutched his chest and propped himself up from the ground, retching forcefully to the side.

The retching lasted for over half a minute.

However, since Angel’s stomach was empty, he only vomited sour stomach acid, though at least he felt sowhat more at ease than before.

"Second ti... second ti..." Angel’s voice, full of resentnt, drifted out through clenched teeth.

The last ti he was swallowed into the Dalmatian’s belly, he experienced an unprecedented tumbling. At the ti, he already felt very uncomfortable. This ti was even worse; Angel himself didn’t know how many tis he had rolled. It felt like rolling from last year to this.

Even with his current physique, he was tornted to the point of retching, showcasing just how unforgettable this tumbling was for Angel.

With the oppressive feeling in his chest slightly relieved, Angel lifted his head to look around.

That look imdiately stupefied Angel’s gaze.

Clocks.

Countless clocks.

Round, square, flat, tilted, as big as the morning star, as small as a ring, cracked, half-embedded in the void, flickering and glowing, dim and faded...

Various kinds of clocks filled this unknown void.

And Angel stood in a corner of this "Clock Forest."

Beneath his feet was the void, yet mysteriously, a patch of glowing velvet grass sprouted at the spot where his foot landed. As Angel tested walking, the glowing velvet grass would automatically grow at the spot where his foot fell, eliminating the danger of falling into the void.

Although the phenonon of velvet grass growing underfoot was peculiar, considering it’s inside the Dalmatian’s belly, anything might happen and Angel didn’t bother to pay attention.

He believed this glowing velvet grass was rely a trivial detail.

The Dalmatian truly wanted him to witness perhaps the "Clock Forest."

These clocks ca in all styles, so intricate, so simple; at first glance, Angel found nothing out of ordinary. Their only common point was: they were all motionless.

Since the Dalmatian led him here—yes, Angel was firmly convinced he appeared here as per the Dalmatian’s design—it surely intended for him to observe or do sothing here.

Thinking this, Angel stood up.

He walked toward the nearest clock.

It was a sowhat dim mantel clock with corroded hands. On the furthest edge of the Clock Forest, it looked like a dilapidated noble’s facade decoration.

No matter how he looked, Angel couldn’t discern anything special about this clock.

After hesitating for a second, he decided to stretch out his hand to touch it.—Previously, touching the clock outside had brought about changes, perhaps it’s the sa with these clocks.

Yet, when Angel reached out, he discovered he grasped nothing.

This clock was not an entity.

It was an illusion.

Angel paused for a mont; as an Illusionist Wizard, he hadn’t noticed any trace of illusion in this clock, other than its age. In his eyes, in his spiritual sight, it appeared wholly real.

Angel couldn’t help but wave his hand back and forth beside the mantel clock, although his hand touched only the illusory, he still couldn’t see any traces of illusions.

Could this be a higher-level Illusion Technique?

Or perhaps it wasn’t an illusion but rather beyond Angel’s capacity to touch the entity?

Unable to derive an answer, Angel attributed it to the Dalmatian’s mystical ability.

Since this mantel clock was illusory, what about the other clocks? Angel didn’t dwell at one spot long but continued toward other clocks.

Square clock wheel... illusory.

Heart-shaped pocket watch... illusory.

Lavish wall clock... illusory.

Angel proceeded forward, touching everything along the way. Whether a towering clock as large as a building or a small pocket watch, none was real; all were illusory.

Though these clocks looked distinctive, Angel couldn’t find any worthy research value. He could only keep moving forward.

And as Angel advanced, surrounding clocks clearly grew more intricate, and there were more glowing clock wheels.

But, regardless of how exquisite or dazzling, they were only coated with a splendid exterior; the inner core remained illusory.

Perhaps because of too many illusory clocks and finding no focal subject to examine closely, Angel’s thoughts began to stray into peculiar directions, for instance, imagining: If he were a clockmaker, perhaps he would be happy here, designing clocks effortlessly and abundantly, never repeating daily.

With various wild thoughts, Angel continued forward. After an undetermined amount of ti, he suddenly saw an enormous spire clock in the distance.

This clock seed to stabilize the heavens and earth, unimaginably vast.

At first glance of this clock, a thought surfaced in Angel’s mind: There, perhaps that is the destination!

Angel didn’t bother to ponder whether this thought was a mystic premonition or a concept forcibly inserted by the Dalmatian. He had nowhere else to go, so he decided to check it out; he might find so clues.

Without hesitation, Angel even quickened his pace.

In the void, the swaying glow velvet grass appeared and vanished under Angel’s feet like a Path Mark, illuminating his way to the enormous clock.

Upon arriving here, Angel imdiately understood he had reached the right place.

Because, when he entered within a mile of the spire clock, all motionless clocks’ hands began to move.

Tik-tok-tik-tok—

The sounds of various clock hands moving resonated throughout the sky.

However, these already moving clocks remained illusory; at least Angel could not touch them.

He could only continue forward, accompanied by the ticking sound of ti passing, step by step toward the spire clock’s vicinity.

Here, the surrounding clocks notably thinned; where before one could see many clocks every step or two, now it could take hundreds of steps to see any.

Yet, clocks within this giant clock’s vicinity shone brightly and magnificently.

After bypassing these illusory yet magnificent clocks, Angel stood below the giant clock.

When he reached this spot, it was as if triggering a chanism, the top of the giant clock slowly revealed a deep, towering shadow.

Upon seeing this shadow, Angel froze.

Though unable to see the shadow’s true form, Angel found its silhouette and the casual seating posture incredibly familiar!

When he first encountered the Thief of Ti, the latter was just like this, sitting atop the hour wheel in the sa posture.

Is he the Thief of Ti?

Did the Thief of Ti also co into the Dalmatian’s belly?

Has the Thief of Ti co for ? Do I need to make so extraordinary choice now?

Angel felt a little confused, as if he didn’t need to make a choice now. Generally speaking, when the Thief of Ti reveals himself, isn’t it always to steal a choice?

Or did the Thief of Ti foresee that he was about to make a choice, so he ca here early to wait for him?

This doesn’t seem to be the style of the Thief of Ti... Angel understood from many people that the Thief of Ti rarely appears when you make a choice. Once you make a choice, the other option is naturally stolen by him.

This is the Thief of Ti’s practice, his style, and also a restrictive rule.

At least, other people had never seen the Thief of Ti appear ahead of ti before any choice erged.

So what’s happening before us?

While Angel was suspicious, a crisp bell sound broke through the restrictions, echoing from the distant periphery.

When the bell rang, Angel felt inexplicably that his heart started to beat rapidly.

And the Thief of Ti, sitting atop the giant clock wheel, suddenly raised his head to look in the direction of the bell sound.

"A mark triggered a choice." The Thief of Ti muttered to himself: "Let see."

With those words, a circular clock was suddenly pulled by the Thief of Ti from the periphery to the vicinity.

It was this circular clock that was making the crisp sound now.

Angel looked at this familiar circular clock, his heartbeat grew more urgent... He always felt that this circular clock had a significant connection to him.

As if that circular clock represented him.

From above, the circular clock in the Thief of Ti’s hands suddenly began to pour out golden light. The Thief of Ti took a deep breath and said playfully: "Tsk tsk, the overflowing honey of ti is truly sweet and luscious... Looks like it’s worth having a look."

Angel also saw the golden light, and for so reason, when his gaze lingered on the flowing golden light, a picture erged in his mind.

That was not long ago, when he decided to return to the Mist Belt, the parting scene with Sanders—

At the mont, Angel said firmly: "What I ntioned earlier, watching the advancent process of the disorderly thing, was just a hasty reason, but when I said it, I had a premonition that the choice to return was right."

"Even this premonition was so strong... It was as if I was making a choice that could change the course of my life."

Sanders was silent for a mont after hearing Angel’s words, then slowly spoke: "Since you feel this choice is important, then rule out all possible interferences and follow your heart."

The golden light dispersed, and the scene also faded from Angel’s eyes.

Angel looked at the Thief of Ti above, then at that golden-gleaming circular clock.

At this mont, he suddenly understood.

Everything he was seeing now wasn’t sothing occurring in the current space-ti.

It was what happened not long ago when he made the choice to return to the Mist Belt.

This is also why previously, when he chose to return to the Mist Belt, a sense of fate arose because that choice activated the Thief of Ti’s mark, drawing him to notice.

And that circular clock, Angel felt closely related to it perhaps because it is actually his fate clock, just manifested by the Thief of Ti.

Everything beca clear.

Angel also roughly understood that the Thief of Ti before him wasn’t real. He was rely the manifested past Thief of Ti by the Dalmatian.

However, Angel still didn’t understand why the Dalmatian would manifest such a scene.

Was it telling him that the Thief of Ti had watched over him not long ago?

But if the Thief of Ti really watched over him and stole his choice... the Thief of Ti should appear, right? Even if he didn’t show up, at least he should offer so compensation! The Thief of Ti stealing others’ choices requires paying a price; this is a balance.

But when Angel made his choice back then, he neither saw the Thief of Ti nor received any compensation.

Why was that?

Did the Thief of Ti suddenly abandon watching him?

Angel remained puzzled, continuing to watch.

Then he saw the Thief of Ti indeed preparing to head to Angel’s location, even witnessing how the Thief of Ti manipulated the circular clock to open the clock wheel door above.

But at the critical mont, the Thief of Ti suddenly withdrew his hand.

His finger pad was pricked when touching the clock wheel door.

A drop of golden blood fell from his fingertip, dropping into the void...

And the Thief of Ti, watching the disappearing golden blood, squinted and said: "Going there gives a bad premonition... Could it be, going there, will et..."

The following words suddenly blurred.

As if soone was stirring the space-ti, not wanting Angel to hear.

Angel could only see that the Thief of Ti did not open the clock wheel door. — This might be why, despite Angel making the choice, the counterpart didn’t appear.

When the Thief of Ti retreated to the top of the giant clock, the disturbed sound returned to normal.

Then, Angel saw the Thief of Ti looking intrigued at the circular clock wheel.

"Let see, who does this clock represent?"

After speaking, the Thief of Ti’s head suddenly slowly turned, looking down at Angel.

At this mont, past ti seed intertwined with the current ti.

And Angel’s gaze in the present space-ti t the gaze of the Thief of Ti in the past space-ti without any obstacles.

"Wang Wang—"

At the mont Angel t the Thief of Ti’s gaze, Angel heard the familiar sound of a dog barking, apparently from the Dalmatian.

Simultaneously, the surrounding scene suddenly started becoming blurry.

Those Clock Forests, those giant clock wheels, and the drifting golden light with the upright figure of the Thief of Ti... all blurred after the urgent barking of the Dalmatian.

Soon, all the surrounding images vanished, including the clock and the Thief of Ti.

But Angel still saw, in the last second before the images disappeared, the corner of the Thief of Ti’s lips curling up, and amidst the past and future space-ti, a soft laugh reaching his ears.

"Yo, it’s you, lad."